90 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
March, 1919 
ceeding any we find in a wild 
state. Some kinds are not deeply 
rooted and may need some artifi- 
cial watering in a prolonged dry 
spell, but nearly all of them are 
satisfied with good cultivation. 
I have tried to give to some 
plants what seemed like natural 
conditions in a wooded slope 
where the soil is good, and leaf 
mold abounds, but both species of 
Phlox, Jacob’s ladder, Hepatica 
and others do better in the open 
with cultivation. The wild Turk’s 
Cap Lily enjoys a place of its own 
and prefers cultivation in good 
soil, although it is mostly found in 
moist wild meadows. 
Of course these native plants of 
various kinds should not be for- 
gotten when not in flower, other- 
wise weeds will crowd them out. 
Some kinds show their beauty and 
make their growth in spring and 
early summer, dying clown to the 
ground early — their places should 
be marked. This class includes 
Blood-root, Dutchman’s Breeches, 
Green Dragon Arum, Adders 
' ongue, Spring Beauty. 
There are but few annuals and 
c ot many biennials among our na- 
tive v ild flowers that are worth 
considering as attractive. 
A convenient time to collect 
and transplant most of these na- 
tive flowering plants is when they 
are in flower, as they can then be 
most easily identified. I have had 
good success in moving a number 
of kinds at that stage of growth. 
Some kinds bear moving best 
during the short resting spell 
which follows their season of 
blooming. This is so with the 
Moccasin flowers or Cyprepide- 
ums, the Lillies, and I think the 
lupines or Sundial. I have not 
had good success with the Lupine 
and would like to try them from 
seed. The Badger flower Anem- 
one pulsatilla is impatient of re- 
moval in early spring. I shall 
try it sometime after the seeds are 
ripened. 
When moving these wild plants, 
care should be taken to secure 
plenty of roots which should not 
at any time become dry. Soil 
taken with the plants helps to 
save the roots, but when I know 
that I can make the roots safe I 
sometimes shake away the soil for 
convenience in packing to carry 
them home. With a stout trowel 
to dig with, and plenty of paper 
and baskets for packing, one can 
make them safe for carrying 
home, — just as safely as plants 
can be sent a long distance by ex- 
press. Some kinds can be conve- 
niently raised from seed as I have 
done with our native Phlox, the 
cardinal flower, blackeyed Susan, 
the compass plant and others. 
With seedlings there is a .chance 
for variation and through selec- 
tion one can plan for bringing out 
new varieties. Such opportunities 
are manifest in the Phloxes, Jac- 
obs Ladder, the native Asters, 
black-eyed Susan, wild Lillies, 
Pleurisy root and others. I have 
derived much satisfaction from 
this work with some of the kinds. 
In planting I would advise 
grouping together low growing, 
early flowering kinds. In this 
class I would list Hepatica, Spring 
Beauty or Claytonia, Lungwort 
or Mertensia, Dutch m a n ’s 
Breeches or Dicentra, Rue Anem- 
one or Anemonella, Isopyrum, 
Wood Anemone, Jacob’s Ladder, 
the Pasque flower, called by some 
the Badger flower, Dog Tooth Vio- 
let — both white and yellow, 
Northern Bedstraw, Blood Root, 
Marsh Marigold, both of our na- 
tive Phloxes, wild Columbine, Yel- 
low Puccoon, Harebell, some of 
the early Meadow Rues or Thalic- 
trums, Wake Robin or Trillium, 
Violets in variety, Trailing Arbu- 
tus, if you can make it grow, and 
others which are worthy of a 
place with these. Those who 
choose to grow but few kinds 
would probably make a choice 
from this list. Individual pref- 
erence might lead to choice of 
other kinds. Perennial plants and 
shrubs go well together, those 
who have room and choose to do 
so can make pleasing combina- 
tions of our native plants with 
shrubs. 
Sometimes there is a desire for 
plants which will give flowers un- 
der the shade of ti’ees. While no 
plants will have their best show- 
ing in such a condition, some of 
our natives adapt themselves to 
such a use. For such a purpose I 
recommend the Avhite Eupatorium 
of White Snakeroot, Joe Pye 
Weed, and some of the native as- 
ters such as Novae Anglae and 
our native Phlox. 
This paper is not written to per- 
suade anyone to cultivate our na- 
tive flowers but to encourage those 
who desire to do so and hesitate 
because of lack of experience. If 
the work is commenced in a small 
way, interest and experience are 
soon acquired. To be able to i‘ec- 
oguize and name our native flora 
with the feeling that they are fa- 
miliar acquaintances adds much to 
the joys of outdoor life. I would 
urge anyone to not assume an ap- 
pearance of pride in not being 
able to remember botanical names. 
To forget names should be toler- 
ated in old people but is not help- 
ful to the young. When I came 
to Wisconsin sixty years ago next 
spring I soon noticed that there 
was a wide range of flora differ- 
ing from those with which I had 
become familiar in Rhode Island. 
Of course I wished to know the 
